Thursday, July 14, 2011

Umami: Trendy but why?

Umami, located in the Marina district, is a hugely popular sushi restaurant. The reason why it is rated so high is a mystery to me. I have to say, I was not impressed with Umami one bit when I went there for dinner a few weeks ago. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and quaint but the food was just plain horrible. The classic sushi and nigiri is passable but not extraordinary. The menu nose-dives with it's "hot kitchen" menu. My friend and I ordered the Rock Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna & Avocado Salad, Potstickers, and the Seasonal Kakiage (Vegetable) Tempura. The potstickers were good but there was nothing that set them apart from the $4.95 potstickers I could have gotten from my go-to corner delivery joint. The rock shrimp tempura and the seasonal vegetable tempura were not palatable. Sadly, I had to do what I hate and send back the rock shrimp tempura. The tempura was covered in a heavy mayonnaise aioli that made the shrimp taste as if they were trying to cover up cheap fried popcorn shrimp from Sizzler. Not good at all.

The only good thing about Umami is that they have a decent happy hour. From 5:30-7pm they have great drink and food specials (stick to the sushi) and half-off bottles of wine. Next time you are looking for sushi in the Marina, look elsewhere than Umami.

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